The present invention relates to a nozzle arrangement for drying installation particularly well suited to dry motor vehicles. In accordance with the present invention. A triangular grouping of plural openings establishes a general V-shaped air curtain which impinges upon a surface of a vehicle to be dried. Upon relative movement between the vehicle and the triangular grouping of openings, water upon the vehicle surface will be blown both rearwardly and laterally relative to the travel path. Preferably, the air curtain is produced by a common blower.
In the case of motor vehicle washing installation, drying devices are used so as to blow or sweep water from the surface of the vehicle by means of directional jets of air. The use of nozzle arrangements for such a purpose is generally known wherein a pipe of circular cross section is transformed into a horizontal elongated nozzle opening. This elongated, horizontal nozzle opening is disposed in most situations transversely to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle or to the vehicle's direction of movement through the drying device. It has also been known, however, to orient such an elongated nozzle opening parallel to the direction of the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.
Such a nozzle arrangement is relatively expensive, since the circular cross-sectional feed pipe for the air must be reshaped by transition members into an elongated nozzle opening. Another disadvantage of such a conventional arrangement resides in the fact that the elongated air jet at its terminal end areas is highly turbulent and thus the air jet splits up at a relatively small distance in relation to the nozzle opening thereby effectively contacting only a small part of the surface of the vehicle while the lateral areas of the surface of the vehicle are at most minimally influenced by the air jet. Thus, such an arrangement is distinctly disadvantageous for vehicles having a large transverse width.
Furthermore, an arrangement of an elongated nozzle opening is known which is disposed transversely to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. Two air conducting pipes terminate at the opening for the purpose of evenly distributing the longitudinal air jet over the entire length of the nozzle. In order to intensify the drying effect, the nozzle arrangement is suspended for oscillatory movement whereby the reversal of the terminal positions of the oscillatory movement is achieved by means of light barriers or electric position switches. While the oscillatory movement causes the weak elongated air jet to blow the water more evenly from the surface of the vehicle, the structure required is of expensive construction and is subject to breakdowns while exposing operators to potential accident risks. The drying effect is not altogether satisfactory, since the air jet is divided at a relatively slight distance from the nozzle opening and thus fails to effectively impinge upon the surface of the vehicle.
An elongated air distribution box is also known which is disposed transversely to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle and from which three pipe sockets which are linearly disposed in a side-by-side fashion are directed downwardly. Such a structure is disadvantageous since "dead spots" are established between the middle and the two adjacent lateral air jets. Thus, the water on that portion of the surface of the vehicle exposed to the dead spots is not forcibly removed therefrom and as a result, two streaks of water running in longitudinal direction on the surface of the vehicle corresponding to the dead spots are formed.
The present invention remedies the above-discussed disadvantages of by providing a nozzle arrangement which effects a strong flow of air impinging upon a surface of the vehicle such that a general V-shaped air curtain profile is established so as to simultaneously sweep or blow water from the vehicle's surface both rearwardly and laterally relative to the vehicle's direction of travel. To accomplish such functions, the present invention includes a triangular grouping of apertures, the apex of which is positioned so as to be upstream of the other apertures in the grouping. Air discharged from the aperture grouping thus assumes a general V-shaped profile such that the water on the surface of the vehicle is forcibly blown both rearwardly and laterally relative to the direction of travel of the vehicle.
Removal of water from the side surfaces of the vehicle is accomplished according to the present invention by providing a pair of lateral nozzle arrangements which direct air flow onto the vehicle's side surfaces such that the water thereon is forcibly blown both downwardly and rearwardly relative to the vehicle's path of conveyance. Thus, the lateral nozzle arrangements establish lateral air curtains which are downwardly angularly oriented in the direction the vehicle's conveyance.
The above advantages as well as others will become more clear to the reader after careful consideration is given to the description of the preferred exemplary embodiments thereof which follow.